Unlike in some seasons past, this year’s flu bug is affecting people of all ages, not just the very young and very old, said Dr. Barry Poplaw, medical director of the emergency department at Bethesda Hospital West in Boynton Beach.

“This is an equal opportunity infection right now,” Poplaw said, adding that his hospital treated one man in his 60s who was sick enough with the flu to be admitted overnight Tuesday. “We’re certainly seeing an increase.”

We’re hardly alone. The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that during the last week of December, Florida was among 29 states reporting high levels of influenza activity, weeks ahead of schedule.

“It’s certainly not the volume we saw with the swine flu (H1N1), and it’s not as severe, but it’s just now kicking in,” said Dr. Heidi Cohen, assistant medical director in the pediatric emergency department at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood.

El Sanadi cautions patients not to panic or rush out to request the antiviral medication, Tamiflu. All medications have side effects, he said, and Tamiflu should only be taken if a patient is sick enough to warrant it.

“Every medication has a little bit of poison in it,” he said.

Cohen, though, added that Tamiflu is most effective if given within the first 48 hours of the flu’s onset, so those who are having trouble breathing, are particularly vulnerable, or are in compromised health should see a doctor right away. Patients of concern include children younger than 2, adults 65 and older, pregnant women or anyone with an autoimmune disease, respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD, or chronic illnesses like diabetes.

“It’s a fine line,” Cohen said of the decision to treat patients with Tamiflu.

Parents of children who don’t meet those criteria should try over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, while also watching out for more severe symptoms like dehydration, she said.

El Sanadi also advised otherwise healthy adults to try to self-treat their symptoms. If you feel like you have the flu — you have a cough, a fever, body aches and a feeling of lethargy — drink lots of fluids, take over-the-counter medicine, wash your hands regularly and do all you can not to contaminate others. If you don’t feel better within 24 to 48 hours, or if you feel worse, El Sanadi said, see your doctor and let him or her decide how best to treat your illness.

One more piece of advice: It’s not too late to get vaccinated — unless, of course, you’re already experiencing flu-like symptoms. In the Southeast, the flu season can last into April, Cohen said.

“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, go get it because it will provide you with some immunization, even though we’re hitting the crescendo of the illness,” El Sanadi said.